Saturday 1 October 2011

The South of England

Portsmouth was the port of call today. The nickname of Pompey, which is shared by the football team of this city, is thought to come from the old chart abbreviation of Portsmouth Point to POM P. For centuries, and still today, a major naval base for Britain, Portsmouth is also a major ferry terminal for continental routes. Passing through the port we viewed vessels as diverse as Admiral Lord Nelson's historic HMS Victory, HMS Warrior of 1860, modern Royal Navy aircraft carrier's, ferries of every size, hovercraft and even the Ffyes banana boat.
Enjoying unseasonally hot weather in the South of England guests travelled across the Hampshire County countryside to the megalithic site of Stonehenge, where there was an unexpected show of a flock of starling birds. Alternatively passengers had the option to visit the town of Winchester where the focus was a tour of the Cathedral which dates back to 1079.
No voyage on Fram is complete without the great show put on by the crew, and for "Round UK" this was the night.   It was a 'full house' in the Qilak Lounge.